The criminal justice system consists of agencies engaged in dealing with criminal behaviour, such as Police, Supreme and Magistrates Courts, Prisons, Community Corrections, Youth Justice, Forensic Mental Health, and Alcohol and Drug Services. The system also provides advice and assistance to victims, deals with crime prevention and any other crime related issues.

In Tasmania, Commonwealth and state adult and youth criminal matters are dealt with in the same Courts, and administered by the same system, whether it be concerned with custody (prison or youth detention), probation, community service orders or parole. Persons held under the Immigration Act are also likely to be held within State Prisons.

Even though the state system administers sentences, when dealing with Commonwealth offenders, the Commonwealth usually has input via the federal Attorney General's Department and any orders generated, may operate under both state and federal guidelines.

SUMMARY OF CRIME AND JUSTICE STATISTICS

Units

Period

Tas.

Aust.

Imprisonment

Males

rate(a)

30 June 2003

240.6

290.8

Females

rate(a)

30 June 2003

12.8

20.4

Persons

rate(a)

30 June 2003

123.8

153.4

Victims, by offence category(b)

Homicide and related offences

rate(a)

2003

2.3

4.9

Assault

rate(a)

2003

767.0

809.7

Sexual assault

rate(a)

2003

50.7

90.6

Kidnapping/abduction

rate(a)

2003

1.7

3.5

Robbery

rate(a)

2003

28.7

106.4

Blackmail/extortion

rate(a)

2003

-

1.7

Unlawful entry with intent

rate(a)

2003

1,564.7

2,001.4

Motor vehicle theft

rate(a)

2003

252.3

575.4

Other theft

rate(a)

2003

2,751.7

3,448.2

Higher Criminal Courts, defendants finalised(c)

Adjudicated

Acquitted

%

2002-03

6.3

5.9

Proven guilty

%

2002-03

73.9

81.0

Total

%

2002-03

80.2

86.9

Non-adjudicated

Withdrawn

%

2002-03

18.0

12.4

Other finalisation

%

2002-03

1.8

0.7

Total

%

2002-03

19.8

13.1

(a) Rate is per 100,000 adult population.(b) The definition of victims varies according to the category of the offence. A victim maybe an individual person, organisation, or property owned, rented or occupied by the same person or group of people, or a motor vehicle.(c) There is no Intermediate court in Tasmania.(d) These totals exclude Queensland defendants finalised by a bench warrant being issued.

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